Shortening the antenna

[tyhuck]

Ever since I installed the BL on my truck my antenna drags on my garage door when I go in and out. Its not a big deal, but it does make a racket and cause the antenna to rattle loose every now and then. I have tried the antenna delete methods and the relocation tricks, but because I live in the boondocks, I cant get much reception with the antenna anywhere but the factory location. I also hate the look of those cheap-o short replacements that are out there. So I got to wondering, since the antenna is a solid piece of alluminum anyway, would it hurt anything to clip the end of it off so that it just clears the garage? Would this affect radio reception? Is there any other option I could use that doesnt require hiding the antenna under the hood?

[holty]

I tried a shorty antenna, my reception was significantly hindered. It really just depends on where you live and if you're near the station towers that you want to listen to. I had to put my factory antenna back on.

[tyhuck]

I dont mind keeping the factory antenna if I have to. That may be the only way I can pick up stations half the time. I just dont want to drag it on my garage door any more. Im thinking that taking about 2" off of it would solve my problem, and then some. Its just a solid piece of aluminum, right? Would it cause any problems to just snip off the end? The only difference that I can see is that it wont have the little ball on the end.

 

Ide like to have an antenna like the SerriusXM antennas, but I know those are a completely different type of signal.

 

Ideally I would like to figure out how they do it on the new Tahoes and Suburbans. My wife's Tahoe has no visible antenna and it gets great reception.

[dillpicklelsu]

the antenna is embedded into the passenger rear glass on the SUV's

[tyhuck]

OH! I thought that was part of the rear defroster system. I just assumed that they put it on that side olny because the driver can see out that window when checking blind spots, but not out the driver side. Therefore making it a wasted cost to put defrosting coild on that side. I just figured it was another penny pinching practice by GM. However, the wife keeps it in the garage so we never got to test this theory. I never thought about it being the radion antenna.

 

I wonder if there is a way to convert my rear window defrost into an antenna? J/K.

[MikeNH]

Antennas are usualy tuned, it might not work well if you cut some off. But you can get another easily enough. Just try it.

[rockcrusherrevived]

FYI the antenna is made of stainless steel

 

2 inches off probably won't be a "noticeable" difference.

 

 

Ever since I installed the BL on my truck my antenna drags on my garage door when I go in and out. Its not a big deal, but it does make a racket and cause the antenna to rattle loose every now and then. I have tried the antenna delete methods and the relocation tricks, but because I live in the boondocks, I cant get much reception with the antenna anywhere but the factory location. I also hate the look of those cheap-o short replacements that are out there. So I got to wondering, since the antenna is a solid piece of alluminum anyway, would it hurt anything to clip the end of it off so that it just clears the garage? Would this affect radio reception? Is there any other option I could use that doesnt require hiding the antenna under the hood?

 

[waumo1]

This is not based on specific experience with the antenna you want to shorten but on antennas in general.

It will hurt the AM radio reception some but since the antenna is very short for AM anyway you may not notice it.

If the antenna/matching is tuned for the center of the FM band, it will move the optimum tuning toward the top of the FM band and may actually improve reception there.

Take a piece of stiff wire the length you plan to make the antenna and do a side by side comparison if you don't want to just cut the antenna and see what happens.

[tbhuge]

Antenna lengths are tuned for frequencies. I don't know how to figure out the specifics, but if you can figure out what length to frequency the antennas are tuned for you could probably cut that exact amount off and there would probably be a very little difference in reception. If you just wing it and trim it so it looks good or just clears you garage, most likely you will ruin your reception. Also, I think the antennas have a twist to it, if it does and you dont reconnect the 2 wires, it will ruin your reception. Just a couple things to think about. If you can find some cheap junkyard antennas, you could always cut up a few of those just to see how it will all work out.

[TimmyG]

I am going to assume your hitting the garage door. You may be able to get the door to go up some more to help also by adjusting the door stops

[nickvrebel]

as an amateur radio operator I learned a good bit about antennas in preparation for the license exam.

 

I can tell you that the factory antenna is tuned for 1/4 wave somewhere around the middle of the FM frequency band (I haven't measured the exact length). Shortening it will change the tuning to be more ideal for a different frequency, this could be good or bad depending on what frequency it was optimized for originally and what station you are trying to receive... either way: the antenna "ball" on the tip is only there to keep you from damaging/ scratching items that it may strike (such as your garage door), removal won't affect performance. Trim it the absolute minimum to get the clearance that you need and there should be a negligible difference, but be forewarned that if you are barely receiving a station now it may get worse (depending on the broadcast frequency)

[BigBlueLB756]

Why not just lay it down per this thread?:

 

http://www.gm-trucks.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=93298

 

It doesn't seem to hurt reception very much.

[tyhuck]

Why not just lay it down per this thread?:

 

http://www.gm-trucks...showtopic=93298

 

It doesn't seem to hurt reception very much.

 

 

Tried that. It may not affect much reception in the city that your station is located in, but I live in the boonies. I tried several placements for the antenna, and even added a booster wire or two with no resolve.

 

I am going to assume your hitting the garage door. You may be able to get the door to go up some more to help also by adjusting the door stops

 

 

Nope, dragging on the door frame too. ONly fix without changing the antenna would be to remodle the house for an 8' opening.

[CR CRUISER]

I shortened my 2011 Sierra's antenna by 2.5" for the same reason as you want to. I unscrewed the antenna whip from the base. With a pair of vice grips I twisted the anti-static ball from the end. I carefully unwound the wire to just below where I was going to cut the whip and cut off the excess wire. I cut the whip and ground down the tip to be the same diameter as the hole in the anti-static ball. Then tapped the ball back on to the whip with a hammer and coated the end of it in liquid neoprene.

 

I haven't noticed any loss of reception in either AM or FM.

[BaysideDenali]

Antennax been working fine for me for a week now.